Radio beacon



July 1, 1952 D. E. KENYON 2,602,162

RADIO BEACON Filed April 10, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l 55.460 v3 1 515460 TRANSMITTER ,ezctlvzve A! MODl/L 4mg 2 //5 I 7 ET I f F7 0 g F6 .1 90 30 g E? Q r "-3 k F5 'J I INVENTOR 24 W0 5. lff/vvo/v ATTORNEY y 1, 1952 D. E. KENYON 2,602,162

RADIO BEACON COMBINING MEHNS fl/d OSCILLATOR I F117 POWER OUTPUT k INVENTOR.

,Dawo E. hE/vvoxv k/KW IQTTOFNEY D. E. KENYON 2,602,162

RADIO BEACON 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 1, 1952 Filed April 10, 1947 ,4 TTORNEY AAAAAA Ivvvvv lllAAA IIIIIV Patented July 1, 1952 RADIO BEACON David E. Kenyon, Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y., assignor to The Sperry Corporation, a corporation of Delaware 19 Claims. 1

This invention relates to radio navigation beacons and more particularly to automatic, fre quency-modulated, beacon systems.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide continuous, automatic radio beacon means affording a visual presentation on a craft, of the beacon identification and direction relative to th craft.

Another object of this invention is to provide continuous, automatic radio beacon means adapted to be connected to cooperate with radar navigation apparatus.

Another object is to provide automatic radio beacon means comprising a nondirectional, con= tinuously operating radio beacon sending an identification signal, and craft radio means, including a directiona1 antenna, adapted to visual- 1y present said identification signal in synchronism with the indicated bearing of said beacon relative to said craft.

Another object is to provide an easily added improvement to present radar navigation apparatus by furnishing directional beacon infor mation to thereby present an indication on the radar scope, which will identify the beacon and define its bearing. I

In existing radar beacons of the transponder type, there is generally a serious problem of fre quency tolerance control. This is because all craft radar receivers must be. accurately tuned to their own individual transmitters, and inasmuch as all craft receivers must also be respon sive to the beacon transmitter, all the craft frequencies Which are received by separate craft panoramic receivers. Therefore, the craft iradar transmitters and receivers may each operate at their individual frequencies and the pat oramic receivers providejthe' beacon information separately to the radar indicator'scope. 7

Another problem involved in presenting "this type of information on a visual indicator, such as a plan position indicator (PPI) ,is that'of synchroniz'ing' the received signals with the direction Modulatingi and Transmitting Apparatus. 50'

2 of the beacon and with the indicator presentation.

Thi invention solves this problem by utilizing an omnidirectional beacon transmitter continuously transmittingfrequency modulated signals, in combination with craft radio apparatus of the type having a directional antenna, a bearing indicator and, as taught by the invention, a special panoramic beacon receiver.

The invention also relates to the novel features )r principles of the instrumentalities described -ierein, whether or not such are used for the stated objects, or in the stated fields or combinations.

This invention will be more fully explained in connection with the following figures of which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the invention Figure 2 is a chart illustrative of the principle of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a chart illustrative of another embodi ment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a block schematicdiagram of an embodiment of a beacon transmitter;

Fig. 5 is a block schematic diagram of an embodiment of a beacon receiver;

Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of the invention used in connection with a conventional radar system;

Fig. 7 is a map illustrative of the operation of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a beacon transmitter;

Fig, 9 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a beacon modulator; and

Fig. 10 is a series of wave forms illustrative of the operation of thetransmitter'of Fig. 9.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown a beacon station apparatus and the craft receivin apparatus. Th beacon station comprise a transmitte'r 3 operably connected to a modulator 4 and to an omnidirectional antenna 5. The transmitter. may be of low or medium power, for instance in the microwave frequency band, a klystron tube may be used as the power oscillator. The transmitter 3 may take the form of that described in copending application Serial No.

740,692, filed Marche, 1947, in the names of David E. Kenyonand Hirstle M. Hammond, for

that is, shift the carrier frequency of transmitter 3 proportionally to a coded identification signal which may be for purposes of illustrating a signa1 letter in conventional Morse '(iOdE' The Omnidirectional antenna 5 may be a sim le dipole for The modulator 4 is adapted to'frequency modulate,

high frequency operation, and it should be mounted high enough to provide a desirable line of sight range.

The craft radio beacon receiving means comprises a beacon receiver I operatively connected to a directional antenna I which is adapted to be rotated, and indicating means 2 operably connected to the output of a beacon receiver I.

The beacon receiver I is a panoramic receiver, that is, its frequency is adapted to be periodically swept through a frequency band. A convenient form of the indicating means 2 may be a cathode ray tube of the type using plan position (PPI indication). The indicator sweep voltage is synchronized With the panoramic sweep voltag of the beacon receiver I.

As previously mentioned the beacon transmitter 3 may be frequency modulated by identification signals which may be single letters consisting of dots and dashes. As the craft directional antenna 1 is pointed towards the beacon transmitter 3,

it is desired that the beacon receiver I shall receive thesedots and dashes and present them visually on the indicator 2 as shown-bydot I'I, dash I8 and dot I9.

The directional part of this indication is automatically taken care of by theindicator sweep voltage rotating in azimuth in synchronism with the rotation of the directional antenna I in a manner similar to existing radar systems. The identification part of this indication, that is the arrangement of the dots and dashes on the indicator 2 will be more fully explained in connection with Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a typical beacon frequency modulated transmission plotted against time. Thus, it is seen that the beacon transmitter 3 transmits a frequency of F1 for a certain time, sharply jumps to F2 then gradually changes its frequency to F3, jumps to F4, and then transmits F for a certain time, this sequence being periodically repeated. The lines 20, 2I and 22, etc. represent the frequency excursions of the panoramic receiver I2 plotted against time. Thus, as the receiver frequency increases along line 20, it receives a response to the frequency F1 which is then being transmitted by the beacon, the length of time of reception indicated by the heavy line 20' as determined by the bandwidth of the receiver.

- On the next frequency excursion of the receiver represented by line 2I, a similar response to frequency F1, as indicated by the'heavy line 2I,-is received. Responses 20' and 2I. coincide infrequency and produce a short signal IT or a dot on the cathode ray indicator screen. The next frequency excursion, indicated by line 22,receives a response 22' at some frequency between F2 and F3. The following four excursions indicated by lines 23, 24, 25 and 26, all receive responses between F2 and F3, and itis noted that these responses overlap, producing a long continuous signal, or a dash I8 on the persistent cathode ray screen. The next two frequency excursions indicated by lines 21 and 28 receive responses at frequency F4, which responses coincide to produce signal I9.

Therefore, it is seen that the visual response indicated along the radio sweep trace'of the cathode ray' indicator I will be as indicated by signals I1, I8 and I9a dot, a dash and a dot--the reby identifying the beacon. There is no synchronism between the repetition rate of the frequency modulated beacon transmission and the repetition rate of the receiver frequency excursions. It is desirable that the receiver repetition rate be several times that of the transmitter repetition rate. It is also desirable to sufficiently separate the transmitted frequencies, namely; F1 from F2 and F3 from F4 so that there will be adequate spacing between the visual signals.

The transmitter beacon repetition rate must be correlated to the rotation rate of directional antenna I and its beam width, so that as the antenna 1 rotates past the beacon it will receive the transmitted code letter at least once, preferably several times.

Fig. 3 is illustrative of another system wherein the beacontransmitter 3 transmits several frequencies simultaneously and the beacon receiver sweeps through the entire frequency range, receiving each frequency in turn. In this system dashes may be generated by utilizing two transmitter frequencies, such as Fe and F1 of Fig. 3 close enough together so that the received band width of each frequency will overlap producing a single long received transmission. Fig. 3 illustrates the reception of a dot, dash, dot signal as the receiver frequency sweeps along the line 29 receiving a dot" as it passes F5, a dash as it passes F6 and F7 and a dot as it passes Fa.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown an embodiment of the beacon transmitting means operating on the principle illustrated in Fig. 3; that is, simultaneously transmitting a plurality of different frequencies which are received as dots or dashes by the panoramic receiver depending upon their distribution within the receiver frequency spectrum. The individual frequencies F5, F6, F1 and Fa are generated, respectively, by generators 55, 56, 51 and 58. These generators are connected to the antenna 5 through output connecting means 59. The separate generated frequencies may be either all carrier frequencies or one carrier frequency and the others modulating that carrier frequency.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic block diagram of beacon receiver I. The sweep voltage which sweeps the frequency of local oscillator 3I, is received from the sweep voltage generator 32 through an amplitude control 33. As the local o cillator 3I frequency sweeps through its desired band, the receiver I receives all frequencies in that band from the directional antenna 1. The R. F. signals and the local oscillator signals are heterodyned in mixer 35 and applied to intermediate frequency amplifier 36. The output of intermediate frequency amplifier 36 is limited by amplitude limiter 31 and the limited output is applied through bandpass filter 38 to detector 39 and video amplifier 42. The central local oscillator frequency may be set by the tuning control 40 and the gain of the I. F. amplifier may be set by gain control 4|.

The characteristics of limiter 31 and bandpass filter 38 are chosen so as to automatically control the intensity of the intermediate frequency amplifier output as the receiver operating frequency is swept through the beacon transmitter frequencies. The two-fold purpose of this automatic intensity control is first to prevent overloading of the succeeding stages by high intensity signals and secondly to raise low intensity signals to the indicator threshold. The function of. the limiter ,3! is to avoid overloading but it also has the'undesirable effect of broadening the intermediate frequency amplifier response. Therefore, the relatively narrow bandpass filter is added to overcome this broadening effect.

The result of the automatic intensity control of limiter 31 and bandpass filter 38 is to present all of the received signals in the indicator at a constant intensity, and thus avoid losing low intensity signals and alsoavoid the blurring or running together of strong signals. For in stance,if two beacon stations were being received simultaneously, one of which was much closer than the other or putting out a much stronger signal and the gain control was manually set to prevent overloading by the stronger station, then the weaker 'stationwould not be received. Conversely, if the gain control were set to'receive the weaker station then the stronger station would overload the system components. Bandpass filter 38 also improves the signal to noise ratio,-as only the frequencies in the narrow band desired for intelligence are passed by it.

Random interference of an electrical or-radio nature which is received by the beacon receiver will tend to be averagedout, in the cathode ray tube presentation, against the background noise, as the desired signals are reinforced at the sweep repetition rate, whereas the interference will occur randomly.

The addition of the limiting means andbandpass filter cooperates with this integrating function of the indicator screen, to improve the signal to noise ratio, and the indicated'signal resolution. These features plus the additional factor that the beacon receiving antenna maybe made highly directional enables the'beacon receiver to indicate signals from several beacons concurrently providing they are not on the same bear- Fig.'-6 shows the invention adapted to be used in cooperation with a conventional radar system. The'radar system comprises the directional antenna 'I connected by wave guide 8 '-to radar transmitter-receiver 9 whichin turn is'connected to'the radar indicatorlil, of the -PPI'type. The present invention adds the beacon receiver I2 which is connected to the directional antenna I by means of wave guide "I3 which is connected to a T section in wave guide '8 through transmit-receiver (T-R) box I6. Beacon receiver I2 is of the panoramic type previously mentioned and its frequency is adapted to be periodically swept through a predetermined frequency band in synchronism with the radar indicator sweep voltage which is received from the radar indicator ID on lead It. The video output of the beacon receiver, that is, the received dots and dashes which identify the beacon are applied to the radar indicator 'ID through lead 15. The

PPI indicator sweep voltage rotates in synchro- 'nis'm with the directional antenna '1. Therefore, when the beacon identification signal is received by the beacon receiver I2, it will appear on the indicator I9 along the bearing of the beacon station relative to the craft as illustrated. a This information is presented'on the indicator in addition to the other radar information received from nearby targets.

Referring to Fig. 7, it is seen that several beacon stations may be received simultaneously to thereby provide automatic, continuous, visual navigational'fixes and range information on the radar indicator. This illustration shows a-map of a harbor entrance area having'two beacon stations, U and R located on opposite sides of the harbor entrance. Beacon U transmits the dot, dot, dash signal and beacon R transmits a dot, dash, dot signal. The craft indicator 50 illustrates the visual beacon presentation on a craft. If the base line distance between beacon U and'R, is known, a relatively accurate navigational fix maybe easilyobtained. As. the craft moves along the prescribed course to location 5|, the angle between the two beacon's will widen and land'indications '52 and buoys '53 and 354 will be picked 'up by"the'radar system .thus a'fe fording accurate range' information. The beacon reception station is operativeeven if the-:radar transmitter is not :operating and it extendsithe range of the radar indication system considerably as the beacon signals may be .picked up on a much further-range than target echoes. This range may be further increased by'mounting the beacon stations ver-y high, for instance, :on a mountain topor a high cliff.- Thus, it is seen that when the; beacon receiver is used in :con.-'- junction with v a fradar, -the beacon r range may be determined by' the observation of a simultaneous presentation of be'acon and radar sig.- nals,-fwhenever-thelocation of the beacontransmitter is known :with respect to :the shoreline or other rad'ai 'targets.

Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic block diagram ofan embodiment of a. beacon transmittenof the type disclosedin 'the above-mentioned application Serial 'No. 740,692, 'filed March 4, 1-947, in the names of David E. Kenyon andI-l'irs'tle Hammond, for Modulating and Transmitting Apparatus. It-comprises'a power output stage Ht which in turn is operably connected to suitable wave'forming circuits. Thesewaveforming circuits perform the function of "providing thecoded wave form modulation, that ispproviding' a wave form such as that illustrated in Fig. 2. The wave forming operations may be performed by suitable combinations of oscillators, rectangular wave generators and sawtooth wave generators. -Thusthecomplex wave form 91' of Fig. 10 may be broken down as follows: portion A is a rectangular waveof low amplitude; portionB-comprises a sawtooth wave of a higher average level; and portion'Ca rectangular wave having a'still higher averagelevel. Each portion of the complexwave is generated by one of the separate generators and their outputs are combined together in the desired sequence'by combining means H6, and then applied to oscillator'IH; y

The separate wa'vejf-orming circuits illustrated in Fig. 8v comprise arectangu'lar wave'g'enerator IM'to. provide portionA of the wave form; a sawtooth voltage generator H3 having a higher average voltage level to provide the sloping part, i. e., portion B, of the wave form; and-another rectangular wave generator H5 to form the-portion The rectangular wave generators may be multivibrators or square wave generators, and one must be a fr'e'erunning multivibrator to initiate the cycle. The three wave forming generatorsare arranged tobe triggered by the preceding generator at the conclusion of the preceding'portion of thewaveform.

The sequence of the operation cycle may be described as follows: assuming the'free running generator to be generator H5, it initiates the first cycle and triggers the rectangular wave generator I I4 which'formsf'por'tion Act the wave form, and at'the conclusion thereof triggerssawtooth generator H3. Sawtooth generator H3 forms portion B of the wave form and at the completion thereof triggers 01T rectangular generator' I I5 which 'formsportion C. The "sum of the time'durations of the three waveformsmust be chosen'less than the period of the free running multivibratonso that the succeeding cycles will be self-triggering.

Figfi9 is a schematic 'diagram of such a modulator circuit arranged for generation of an R or dot-dash-dot code. Referring to the sketch, vacuum tube 60 and associated circuit is a free running type of multivibrator; tube 10 and tube 80 circuits are one shot multivibrators, that is, must be triggered each cycle; tube 90 is a cathode follower =and mixer, and tube I is a D. C. restorer. The sequence of operations may be described by referring to the wave forms of Fig. 10 which each have the same number, plus a prime mark, as the component where they occur, for instance, plate 6| has a wave form 6 I Assume that plate 6| of tube 80 is conducting, plate 62 is not conducting, and grid 65 is held below cutoif ,by a charge on capacitor 61. When capacitor 61 discharges suificiently through resistor 68 to reach the cutoff level of grid 65, plate 62 of tube 60 conducts and grid 86 is driven below cutoff. The result is a rectangular voltage wave on plate 6|, shown as wave form 6| of Fig. 10, the duration of the positive portion of which is determined by the time constant of resistor 58 and capacitor 59. In a specific embodiment where resistor 58 is equal to lmegohm and condenser 59 to .002 mf., it will take approximately 3500 microseconds for grid 68 to rise to cutoif as condenser 59 must charge from 260 v. toward +40 v. and cutoff is reached at -12 volts bias.

The resistor 68, capacitorB'I time constant is chosen large to hold grid 65 cutoff for the remainder of the cycle. The square wave BI is then differentiated by capacitor 63 and resistors I1 and 11', thereby producing a wave form 15 illustrated in Fig. 10, which is then applied to grid 15 of tube I0, which grid is normally at zero bias. The negative pip corresponding to the negative going edge of square wave 6| drives grid 15 below cutoff momentarily, and plate I2 of tube I0 therefore stops conducting, giving rise to a square wave I2, the positive duration of which is determined by the time constant of resistor TI and capacitor 18. For purposes of illustration, if resistor 11 is equal to one megohm and condenser I8 is equal to .008 microfarad, it would take approximately 14,000 microseconds for grid I5 to rise to cutoff potential since it must rise from 260 volts to +40 volts.

This square wave 12' of Fig. is differentiated, by capacitor 'II and resistors 8| and 8|, thereby producing wave form 85' which is applied to grid 85 of tube 80 which is normally at zero bias and the negative pip corresponding to the negative going edge of square wave I2 causes grid 85 to be driven momentarily below cutoff. This results in a square wave 82 occurring at plate82, the positive duration of which is determined by the time constant of resistor 8| and capacitor I9. This time constant has been chosen for illustration to be equal to that of capacitor 59 and resistor 58. Therefore, the time duration of the positive portion of square wave 82 is equal to that of square wave 6|, approximately 3500 microseconds for the illustrative values chosen.

The square wave 82' is differentiated by the difi'erentiating circuit at 83, thereby producing wave form 66' which is applied to grid 66 of tube 60. The negative pip of wave form 66', corresponding to the negative going portion of square wave 82, drives grid 66 momentarily below cutoff and a second cycle is thereby initiated.

Returning to the square wave. I2, it is also applied to a network comprising the resistors 81 and 88 and capacitor 89, thereby producing at grid 96 the wave form 96 which consists of an initial instantaneous voltage rise followed by a sloping voltage rise. The initial instantaneous voltage rise is determined primarily by the ratio ofthe resistances of resistors 81 and 88 and the slope is determined by the time constant of the total resistance of resistors 87 and 88 andthe value of capacitor 89. The wave form 96' is utilized to obtain that portion of the modulation voltage which produces the dash signal.

Tube 90 is a cathode follower which is used to mix the various wave forms previously discussed in the desired sequence and obtain a complex voltage output across its cathode output resistor 91, which output is then applied to the power oscillator, for instance, to the reflector of a klystron type tube, in order to obtain the desired frequency modulation characteristic in the transmitted output.

The square wave 82', previously mentioned, is applied to the other grid of tube '90. The average D. C. voltage level of grid 95 is determined by the bias supplied through switch I02 by potentiometer I05. 7 In a similar manner, the setting of the potentiometer III determines the D. C. voltage bias of grid 96 through switch I03 and therefore the reference level of the "dash wave form 96 which is applied to grid 96.

Tube I00 is a D. C. restorer diode which restores the D. C. voltage level of grid 98 to the bias level of potentiometer III.

The sequence of wave forms producing the desired combined voltage wave form output 91' across the cathode of resistor 91 of tube 90 is as follows:

Po'rtz'on A.The D. C. voltage level across resistor 91 as determined by the bias voltage settings of potentiometers I05 and I I I is maintained for the positive duration of the square wave 8| as both grids 95 and 96 of tube 90 are at a fixed level during this period;

Portion B.The sloping top Wave 96 is then applied to grid 96 resulting in an initial sharp rise in cathode voltage followed by a slow rise due to the shape of this wave form;

Portion C'.The square wave 82" is applied to grid 95 at the exact time that the sloping wave form 96' is decreasing to its reference level. The amplitude of the (C) portion depends on the peak amplitude of square wave 82' and the bias applied to grid 95. At the trailing edge of square wave 82, the cathode of tube 90 again returns to the D. C. reference voltage determined by the bias applied to grid 96, and the negative pip of wave form 66, corresponding to the trailing edge of square wave 82', initiates a new cycle.

As the frequency sequence of coded characters transmitted is determined by the relative voltage levels applied to the output stage, which may be a klystron type tube, this sequence may be determined by the settings of potentiometers I05 and III. For the wave form just described, an R code is produced, as the voltage sequence is dot-dash-dot.

A dot-dot-dash code may be obtained from the same circuit. Assume that switches I02 and I03 are thrown to the other potentiometers I04 and I06 and that their settings are such that the sloping top wave form 98' is added to a high D. C. bias on grid 96 and the square wave 82' is added to a medium D. C. bias on grid 95. The resulting code will then be dot-dot-dash or U code.

With the circuit shown, an S dot-dot-dot code can also be obtained by adjustment of resistor 81 such that a substantially fiat-topped square wave is applied to grid 96 of tube 90. In this case, if the resistance of resistor 81 is made, say

nine times reater than resistor 88, the initial rise of wave form 96' will be practically the full rise and it will be practically a square wave. The modulating wave formoutput will then contain three stepped voltage levels. The multivibrator time constants should be so adjusted that these are of equal time duration.

If two rather than three characters are desired, this result can be obtained by adjustment of the potentiometer ")4 or I05, such that the square wave applied to grid 95 does not reach a value above cutoff. A dot-dot or dot-dash can then be obtained by adjustment of. resistor 81. v

Codes of more than three characters may be obtained as follows; Successive dots may be gen-'- erated by the addition of a multivibrator in the chain, a cathode follower mixer, and a D. C. restorer for each dot.

Successive dashes may be added in a similar manner by the use of a longer R. C. constant, and R. C. network for sloping the top, and any additional D.'C. restorer for each dash added.

The repetition rate is determined by the sum of the. time intervals for each multivibrator' in the chain. For example, with the dot-dash-dot described, a dot square wave width of 3000 microseconds and a dash square wave width of 14,000 microseconds, the time per cycle will be 20,000 microseconds which is a. repetition rate of..50 cycles.

Thus, it is seen that the panoramic receiver frequency is swept through the beacon transmitter frequency band in synchronism. with the sweep voltage of the PPI indicator, and the beacon receiver output is then applied to the PPI indicator. The received beacon arimuthv indication is presented in coded formalong the PPI sweep length thereby identifying and defining the.- direction. of the. beacon transmitting stations.

The beacon transmitter is. continuously operated at a suitable repetitionrate and the received indications are synchronizedon the. PPI indicator by-the synchronism. between thesweeping ofthe receiver oscillator frequency and the sweep voltage of the indicator. .There is no synchronism between the. beacon repetitionlrate and the. receiver The azimuth information is automatically taken care of by a conventional rotating directive antenna system, the rotating sweep voltage of the indicator rotating in synchronism with the directionalantenna, thereby presenting the beacon identification signal along the beacon azimuth. The beacon. receiver coopcrating with a radar system may use the same directional antenna as the radar system.

The invention may be used in cooperation with a radar system or may be used independently and it is not limited to the microwave frequency region but may be used in any frequency band. For instance, it may be used in the long wave bands for reception at great distances;

' The invention is easily adapted for use with conventional radar systems to thereby add navigational information to the radar information. For instance, when approaching a coast. line, beacon signals affording an automatic navigational fix, will be received by means of the invention, long. before radar echoes are received.

Since many changes could be made in the'above construction and many apparently widely differe'nt embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it-.is' intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompany i ing drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Certain subject matter disclosed herein relating to transmitting and modulating apparatus as in Fig. 9 may be claimed in copending application S. N. 740,692, filed March 4, 1947, in the names of David 'E.'Kenyon and H. M. Hammond for modulating and transmitting apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. In a radio beacon system, a radio transmitter modulated to transmit signals of different frequencies in a predetermined arrangement within a predeterminedfrequency band and having a predetermined time sequence, craft radio means responsive to said transmitted signals comprising a rotatable directional antenna, areceiver connected to said directional antenna and adapted to have its operating frequency swept through said predetermined frequency band to thereby detect the transmitted frequency arrangement modulation, and indicating means responsive to said receiver toindicate said signals and responsive to said directional antenna to indicate the direction of said signals.

2. In a radio beacon system, a radio transmitter modulated to transmit signals having a predetermined frequency sequence, craft radio means responsive to said transmitted signals comprising a rotatable directional antenna, a panoramic receiver connected thereto adapted to receive said frequency signals separately, and indicating means responsive to said receiver to integrate said signals and to said directional antenna to indicate the bearing of said signals.

3. In a radio beacon system, a plurality of radio transmitters each modulated to transmit signals having definite time and frequency spacings, craft radio means comprising a rotatable directional antenna, a receiver adapted to re- :eive said signal frequenciesseparately, and visial indicating means responsive to said receiver to continuously integrate and detect said. modulated signals synchronized accor'ding to said defilite frequency variations, and responsive to said directional antenna to indicate the bearing of said transmitters to thereby provide a navigational fix for the craft.

4. Transmitting means at one location to transmit an identifying sequence of frequencies having a definite distribution Within a certain frequency spectrum, and panoramic receiving means responsive to said frequencies including signal storage means to thereby identify said transmitting means according to said frequency distribution within said frequency spectrum.

5. Transmitting'means at one location adapted to transmit a sequence of frequencies Within a certain frequency spectrum, the distribution of said frequencies within said spectrum being arranged to convey intelligence, and receiving means adapted to sweep said spectrum and receive" sai'd frequencies separately including signal indicating means adapted toindicate the intelligence contained in said frequency distribution; v

6. A panoramic modulation system comprising means to create wave forms having portions which have a rate' of change of amplitude to represent dashes and portions which have no rate of change of amplitude to represent dots, said portions being separated by substantially instantaneous' changes of amplitude, transmitting means, means to shift the frequency of said transmitting' meanswithin a certain frequency ldand proportionally so. said wave forms, panoramic receiving means adapted to periodically sweep said frequency band, said sweep duration having a period substantially different than said wave form period and signal storage detecting means adapted to detect dashes from said variable frequency transmissions and dots from. said constant frequency transmissions.

7. Transmitting means adapted to periodically transmit a definite identification frequency variation within a certain frequency band and in a predetermined time sequence, panoramic receiving means adapted to periodically sweep said frequency band at a rate other than said transmitter repetition rate, and means responsive to said receiving means including signal storage means to combine said signals additively and detect identification signals from said-definite frequency Variation.

8. Transmitting means adapted to transmit frequencies having a definite identification frequency distribution within a certain frequency band and in a predetermined time sequence, panoramic receiving means adapted to sweep said frequency band periodically and indicating means including signal storage means adapted to visually present the energy distribution in said frequency band to thereby identify said transmitting means. I

9. In a radio beacon navigation system, means to transmit signals characterized by predetermined recurrent frequency spacings within a frequency band, comprising a power oscillator, means to vary the frequency of said power oscillator and means to key said power oscillator in said predetermined recurrent sequence; panoramic receiving means adapted to periodically sweep said frequency band; and means responsive to said receiving means to indicate said signals.

10. In a radio beacon navigation system, means to transmit signals having a recurrent frequency modulation, comprising a power oscillator, means to apply frequency modulation to said power oscillator, means to provide said recurrent frequency modulation envelope comprising a recurrent frequency oscillator, at least one dot generator and at least one dash generator; craft radio means responsive to said transmitted signals comprising a rotatable directional antenna, a panoramic receiver connected to said directional antenna, and indicating means responsive to said receiver to indicate said signals, and responsive to said directional antenna to indicate the direction of said signals.

11. In a radio beacon navigation system, means to automatically transmit frequency modulations representing recurrent codes of any combination of at least two characters, comprising power output means and frequency modulating means having at least one saw-tooth wave generator, at least one rectangular wave generator and means to combine the outputs of said generators in the desired modulation sequence; receiving means responsive to said transmitting means adapted to receive said signals selectively according to their direction and frequency, and indicating means responsive to said receiving means to indicate the identification and direction of said transmitter.

12. In a direction finding system, a directional Wave collector for receiving waves of characteristic frequencies from a remote transmitter, a local oscillator for generating a local oscillator wave, a mixer for heterodyning said received waves and said local oscillator wave to produce beat frequency Waves, selective amplifying means including an intermediate amplifier, limiting means'and a bandpass filter, the characteristics of said limiting means and said bandpass filter being chosen to automatically control the intermediate frequency'output to thereby pass'discrete signals, an indicator having an indicating beam positional on a viewing screen, the intensity of said beam being varied in response to the amplitude of said selectively amplified waves, means for positioning said beam in accordance with the direction of said wave collector, and means for periodically deflecting said beam and simultaneously varying the frequency of said local oscillator whereby said beat frequency waves are swept past said predetermined range of frequencies to reproduce said characteristic frequencies on said indicator screen bycharacteristic indicating beam intensifications'.

13. In a craft navigation system, a directional antenna adapted to be rotated, a, radio receiver comprising means to periodically sweep the operating frequency of said receiver over a predetermined frequency spectrum, including local oscillator meansadapted to be periodically varied, an intermediate frequency amplifier, amplitude limiting means connected to the output of said limiting means amplifier; a bandpass filter connected to the output of said limiting means, detecting means responsive to the output of said band ass filter andamplifying means connected to the output of said detector, indicating means responsive to said receiver to indicate signal frequencies "within said spectrum and responsive to said directional antennato indicate the direction of said signals, including a cathode ray indicator having cathode ray beam sweep means in synchronism with said receiver frequency. sweep means, and beam rotation means in synchronism with said directional antenna rotation.

14. In a craft navigation system, a directional antenna adapted to be rotated, a radio receiver comprising means to sweep its operating frequency over a predetermined spectrum, means to improve the signal to noise ratio and signal resolution including limiting means and a bandpass filter, indicating means responsive to said receiver to indicate signalfrequencies within said spectrum and responsive to said directional antenna to indicate the direction of said signals including signal storage means to combine said signals 'additively.

15. In a radio navigation system, a-radio transmitter adapted to transmit signals of different frequencies within a predetermined frequency band, craft radio means responsive to said transmitted signals comprising a rotatable directional antenna, a panoramic receiver, including limiting means and bandpass filter means, connected to said directional antenna and adapted to have its operating frequency swept through said predetermined frequency band, and indicating means responsive to said receiver to indicate said signals and responsive to said directional antenna. to indicate the direction of said signals.

16. Transmitting means at one location i to transmit a definite sequence of frequencies means to control the time spacing of said frequencies, said frequency sequence containing intelligence modulation, and panoramic receiving means to detect said intelligence by sweeping through said sequence frequencies.

1'7. Transmitting means at one location to transmit a definite arrangement of frequencies means to control the time spacing of said frequencies, said time frequency sequence containing modulated intelligence and panoramic receiving means to detect said intelligence by sweeping through said definite frequency arrangement.

18. Transmitting means at one location to transmit a definite frequency distribution means. to control the time pacing of said frequency distribution, said time frequency distribution containing modulated intelligence and panoramic receiving means to detect said intelligence by sweeping through said distribution of frequencies.

19. In a radio navigation system a beacon transmitter having means to transmit a plurality of frequencies, means to modulate said transmitter comprising means to separate said frequency signals in the spectrum by predetermined amounts, means to arrange the time sequence of said separate frequency transmission in a predetermined manner whereby said spacing and said time sequence provides a modulation, and a craft panoramic receiver for detecting said modulation.

DAVID E. KENYON.

14 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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